Here is your Morning Brief for the morning of March 12, 2012. Give us your feedback below and tune in to Lubbock’s First News with Chad Hasty for these and many more topics from 6-9 am.

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1. Campaign Season In & Around Lubbock Has Officially Kicked Off (link)

The filing deadline has passed and we now know who will be running for what in the May 29th Primary. One of the most interesting races will the Congressional race in District 19. Former Lubbock County Republican Chair, Chris Winn, filed to run against current U.S. Congressman Randy Neugebauer. Winn has not said exactly why he decided to run, but he does plan on making his official announcement this week.

Winn has been kicking around the idea for a while now of running against Neugebauer. I think this will be a very interesting race to watch as both men have connections and resources to make this a competitive race. Neugebauer has been ranked as one of the most conservative members of Congress, so Winn will have to convince voters that Neugebauer is part of the problem in D.C. which could be tough to do.

So does Chris Winn have a chance? Sure. The approval rating for Congress is horrific and more than ever have the attitude of “throw everyone out”. Winn has made a lot of connections throughout the area and can run as an outsider while painting Neugebauer as a Washington, D.C. insider.

Rep. Walter B. Jones Jr., R-N.C., has introduced a resolution declaring that should the president use offensive military force without authorization of an act of Congress, “it is the sense of Congress” that such an act would be “an impeachable high crime and misdemeanor.”

I wouldn’t put any money on this going anywhere. Does the Congressman have a point? Maybe, but Obama won’t be impeached over this.

Here is some interesting background on some of the moving parts in the court case.

The plaintiff in the current case is Abigail Fisher, a white student who contends that she would have been accepted by UT but for her race. She is now a senior at Louisiana State University.

The real force behind the case is Edward Blum, who graduated from UT in 1973, majoring in English and government. As director of the Project on Fair Representation, an activity of Donors Trust Inc., a Virginia-based charitable organization, he has made challenging the use of race and ethnicity in public policy something of a cottage industry, lining up plaintiffs and funding.

In one case he helped organize, the Supreme Court in 2009 gave the Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District No. 1 the right to conduct elections without federal oversight. The court sidestepped the question of whether the Voting Rights Act should continue to require places with a history of discrimination, including Texas, to prove that any change in voting practices does not harm minority interests.

“It brings me no pleasure,” Blum said of suing his alma mater. “I’m disappointed with UT’s policy in this arena, but I’m still a dedicated alumnus.”

The stakes may be high for Santorum and Gingrich, but don’t look for anyone to drop out after Tuesday’s primaries.

With Tuesday’s primaries in the two southern states being fought in rival Newt Gingrich’s “backyard” – Mr Gingrich hails from Georgia – and the governors of both Alabama and Mississippi endorsing Mitt Romney, the frontrunner in the Republican race, Mr Santorum is trying to rein in expectations.

But the stakes could hardly be higher for him and Mr Gingrich as each asserts his claim to being the most viable conservative candidate for the Republicans.

It wouldn’t Surprise me if Romney did well in both Alabama and Mississippi. Look for Gingrich to even win Mississippi.

In January, the Academic Senate recommended that upon accepting admission offers from a University of California school students should have the option of identifying themselves as lesbian, gay, bi-sexual or transgender.

The UC Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools had mixed reactions but agreed that the question would allow them to collect important statistical information. They recommended putting the question on the SIR forms instead of college applications to protect students’ privacy.

Who cares and why would a college need the information? Oh yeah, quota’s perhaps?

Always a nice surprise, especially on your birthday. From right here in Lubbock and the paper’s Letter to the Editor:

Amidst the horrific winds, the dust and lack rain we have been experiencing, it is still great to live in the South Plains/Lubbock area where gracious people abound. Please allow me to share one example of kindness.

On March 4, my husband and I were having lunch at a restaurant in Lubbock. When we were almost finished, our kind server approached us and explained that our meal had already been paid for. Surprised, we asked for details. She said she could not give any information or let us know until the people paying our tab had left the restaurant. She did say the only thing requested by our kind strangers is that we pay it forward.

If you are the kind persons who opened your purse/wallet and blessed us, we sincerely thank you. We don’t know if you noticed us offer a blessing for our meal and that was your motivation or we just happened in at the right time. Please know we will be looking for someone to pay it forward.

May I also add, that Sunday was my birthday and you made it even more special.

These and many more topics coming up on today’s edition of Lubbock’s First News with Chad Hasty. Tune in mornings 6-9am on News/Talk 790 KFYO, streaming online at kfyo.com, and now on your iPhone and Android device with the radioPup App. All guest interviews can be heard online in our podcast section after the show at kfyo.com.

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